I went thrifting this morning and scored a bunch of great stuff. These cute Japanese cups and this awesome soap dispenser. They all need a bit of cleaning up.
One of my best vintage linen finds yet. Nine beautiful full size sheets. All in excellent condition. The colors are bright and colorful. I love them. I also got 2 pillowcases, a pair of funky pajama pants, button cover kits and a whole bunch of embroidery floss and floss bobbins.
Anyone want to share how to get thrift store smell out of linen in one wash? Do tell…
i use canesten antifungal laundry rinse liquid in the wash and rinse cycle to get rid of opshop smell.
They are all so pretty! I love the old sheets and pillow cases also that you can get from thrift stores.
I personally soak anything 2nd hand in a bucket mix of vinegar and water for a couple of days before washing. Most times they are nice and fresh and clean the first wash… however I have heard vinegar is very acidic and can destroy some fabrics.. I have not had a problem… yet…
I just like to know that anything that shouldn’t be there gets blasted by the acid vinegar.
I will have to return to see other ways people use 🙂 I am so paranoid about 2nd hand things, yet so love the idea of recycling and love the old fabrics 🙂
You lucky girl! Looking forward to see how you use these lovely fabrics
Wow, those are great finds! I have the same two sheets that are in the bottom row on the far left and far right 🙂 I always pour a lot of vinegar into the washer and it kills the worst smells and works great as a softener as well.
Now that’s quite a day at the thrift store! Lucky girl! 🙂 Can’t wait to see what they become.
Oh wow – no washing instructions but I have GOT to come visit and go thrifting with you sometime! You score the BEST stuff!
What wonderful finds!!
Nothing gets that thrift store smell out like a day on the clothesline – even in winter 🙂
Those are all great!! I especially like the cups and soap dispenser.
Cute! Nice haul. I don’t thrift well for that very reason – I can’t take the smell of the shops. It overwhelms me and clouds my view of the items available!
Oh, those sheets are divine! I can never find them around here…lucky girl!
I use a combimation of things – one of them is bound to work. Vinegar works most of the time, Oxyclean also works well, and sunshine works really well too – I usually do that anyway even if they don’t need it! lol
Great finds! Hanging linens outside on a sunny day does wonders for that “thrift store smell”. First, I wash the linens with laundry soap and white vinegar and dry in the sun – that works most of the time. If the smell remains after that I give the fabric a good, soaking spray with Febreeze (maybe a natural, homemade version of this would work as well?) and toss it in the dryer or put it back out in the sun.
I almost snagged that pink sheet (lower right) and one of the green ones! No kidding! I was thinking of making aprons. Wonder if we were in the store at the same time??
Lucky girl! No tips for you, but how about another stumper? Have you ever bought a huge jar of old buttons only to realize they have an incredibly disgusting stench? I’ve already washed them in dish soap, it’s not helping. HELP! I’ve relegated them to the garage they’re so smelly!
I use vinegar instead of liquid softener for sheets and towels. When it’s time to wash the kitchen and bathmats and dog toys, vinegar. Works like a charm!
Great finds!! I’d go with the vinegar for the smell too.
Wow that was a wonderful thrifting trip! Very much loving the soap dispenser, beautiful!
What about adding baking soda to the wash? For the person with the stinky buttons, try spreading them out in a tray of clean cat litter and allowing them to air in the garage.
Serious score. Now that is inspiring me to hit of the thrift shop on the way home from work tomorrow. Even finding one sheet as great as those would make it worth it!
I love the soap dispenser. I’m on the look out for a cute one.
the two on the bottom right, I have those!!! Origionals from my moms house!! We still use them. I’ll have to take a pic of the ones I found, I love the old kids pillow cases.
I looooove the sheets! I actually have thrifted two of the same ones! The bottom left hand sheet I used to make a few bags out of, and I have the yellow/orange version of the bottom right hand one that I made a shirt out of (I don’t recommend it). what good taste you have! 🙂
ohhhh awesome! its probably a good time of year to find great treasures!
i have the same pillowcase as the second one in the bottom row, green and mustard colored daisy like flowers. i love it and wish i had the whole set!
WOW!! Love the finds. No real laundry suggestions, but you might try drying them directly on bushes or on grass (I know — a bit of a challenge to find in your geographic area.. 😀 ) — the chlorophyll does nice things to fabric. And for the Button Gal — could also try putting them in a big container with aquarium charcoal and leaving ’em for awhile — should do the same thing as kitty litter…. Let me know how it works. Never know when I’ll be in the same predicament.
I adore the cups and soap dispenser; I found similar Japanese mugs at our Goodwill that have umbrellas on them. For a while I thought about what art projects I could do that would be inspired by them, but so far, I haven’t come up with anything. As for the odor in thrift shop fabrics, I still haven’t found the cure. A few years ago I bought a great denim dress that still smells a bit like moth balls. I’m excited to try some of the suggestions mentioned here though.
oooh very pretty 🙂 i like the dispenser!
I have the daisy one too! I have luck just with regular detergent, but I’ve heard vinegar can help with the musty smell.
wow! you sure did!
Wow, incredible finds. I can’t believe you found that many sheets at one time. That top right one is especially nice. For smell i always use vinegar and water or if it’s really bad (like age smell) i will soak in oxyclean for a whole day and then wash in vinegar and water. I’ve done this with feedsacks and other vintage finds. Doesn’t always work but most of the time it does. Happy creating with all that goodness!
What great finds! Love your new banner, too.
Pretty! I understand spraying anything with Vodka get rid of the smell and doesn’t not stain since vokda is clear. Haven’t tried it yet but I read it in a magazine.
Oh my goodness, I love that fabric in the upper right corner! Lucky you! 🙂
Oh how I wish I could find the sheet in the lower right corner of your picture – the pink and yellow flower. That exact sheet set was on my bed as a child; we had a blue colorway, too. When my mom had breast cancer I was 6, and I remember hanging that sheet on our clothesline to dry each and every week. Those were wonderful memories.
Thanks for the memory. If you ever see another one on Etsy for example, give a shout!
Rachel
PS – I love your blog!
Try soaking the sheets in a bucket of cool water with a cup of baking soda for a day or two, then wash as usual with a liquid detergent specially formulated for soiled clothing.